I'm working with a fellow looking to start a beekeeping project with his son. Problem is, he's in bear country. He's looking to build a cage from steel pipe and a plan would really come in handy. Any ideas for the collective hive mind out there? Come on, don't be shy. You know you want to help...LOL

Same here, a baited electric fence. I have had up to 4 bears in my yard at one time and although they almost destroyed my chicken coop trying to get inside, they never touched a hive. Once I put the electric fence around the coop as well, no more problems there either.

Logged

"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison

If he is in a remote area with no eletric you can get fence chargers that work on a 12 volt car battery that are very effective. If you keep the weeds off of the wire the battery will last almost 5 months before it need to be recharged.

Logged

those hot bees will have you steppin and a fetchin like your heads on fire and your @ss is a catchin!!!

Put your electric fence around your bee lot, using barbed wire for the hot fence, then laying flat on the ground all around the peremeter of the fenced area a band of woven wire, which is wired to the ground rod, and ground lug of your charger. This assures a good hot spark to the bear, or other predator.

Don't forget to bait the wire. Without them getting zapped on the nose or tongue, their fur will insulate them and they will go right through the fence. I run two lines baited with peanut butter, and have not had one go through yet. I use to run 3 wires, but the last few years have used just 2. I imagine just 1 properly baited would work too, but I haven't been that brave.....yet!